Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ACTIVIST ARTIST Ai Weiwei believes a tax evasion case was meant to intimidate him, but losing his challenge to the 15 million yuan fine Friday did not silence his criticism of China’s government.
“Today’s verdict means that after 60 years of the founding of our nation, we still lack the basic legal procedures, the truth is not respected, and they do not give taxpayers or citizens any rights to defend oneself,” Ai told reporters at his design studio, where he stayed because police told him he was not allowed to attend the hearing. “The whole legal system is in a dark state right now.”
Ai and his supporters interpret the penalty Beijing tax authorities levied on his design company last year as official retaliation against his activism. He paid the guarantee in part with donations via wire transfers or from supporters who stuffed cash into envelopes or wrapped bills around fruit and threw the items into his yard.
Activism
An internationally known sculptor, photographer and installation artist, he has used his art and online profile to draw attention to injustices in Chinese society and the need for greater transparency and rule of law.
He was detained without explanation for three months last year during an overall crackdown on dissent. Following his release, Beijing Fake Cultural Development Ltd, was ordered to pay 15 million yuan (€1.9 million) in back taxes and fines. The company filed a lawsuit accusing the tax bureau of violating laws in handling witnesses, gathering evidence and company accounts.
On Friday, the Chaoyang District People’s Court announced its verdict amid a heavy security presence, as plainclothes and uniformed police blocked roads and forced reporters and diplomats to leave the area.
Court ruling
The court rejected the lawsuit on the grounds that the reasons given by the design firm in seeking to have the tax penalty revoked did not hold water, according to a copy of the verdict seen by The Associated Press.
The court said, for example, that the company was wrong in arguing that financial accounts seized from Ai’s studio by police should not be used as evidence in the tax authority’s investigation against the firm. It said tax investigators are allowed to use information sent to it by other departments or organisations.
Attorney Pu Zhiqiang, who attended the hearing with Ai’s wife, Lu Qing, who is the company’s legal representative, said the ruling was made “totally without reason.” Pu said the company would appeal the ruling.
“We have lost this lawsuit but we believe that our action in reality can serve as a symbol of the awakening of civil consciousness,” Pu said. “We do not recognise the legality of the ruling.”
Ruling ‘no surprise’
About a dozen supporters waited at a nearby intersection for the verdict. Tax lawyer Du Yanlin, who advises Ai, wore a grey T-shirt with the artist’s name printed on it in bold characters and was prevented by police from getting close to the courthouse.
Du said the court’s ruling was no surprise.
“Through this lawsuit we can clearly recognise what condition the Chinese judicial system is in. We can more clearly understand what Ai Weiwei’s situation is,” Du said. “He still has no freedom. He still can’t have justice.”
Before his own detention last April, Ai publicised fellow activists’ disappearances via Twitter and he has spoken out about a number of national scandals, including the deaths of students in shoddily built schools that collapsed during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, children killed or sickened by tainted infant formula and a deadly high-rise fire in Shanghai that killed 58 people and was blamed on negligent workers and corrupt inspectors.
Constant surveillance
Since being released, Ai has been refused permission to travel and is under constant surveillance. He still frequently criticizes the government on Twitter, which is blocked in China but accessible to tech-savvy citizens.
China says he remains under investigation on suspicion of illegal exchange of foreign currency and pornography. The latter allegation is believed to be linked to satirical online photos of him posing naked with four women who are topless.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
What about down in the Republic of Ireland? Back in 2020, Where you (Micheal Martin) told this country you would never enter a coalition government with FG and you did.
SF did well in this General Election and you and Leaky Leo left them out of your coalition by bringing in them Greedy Greens because they had extra sneaky taxes to introduce and the majority of Irish roads in Cities and Towns next to impossible to drive on with cycle lanes and concrete poured on car parking spaces with stainless steel Ballards.
So please DON’T LECTURE US THE Irish ELECTORATE on Stalemate.
@Tommy: The hilarious arrogance of shinners expecting to be asked into any coalition. That’s not how it works here. Too much cosseting up north, methinks. They could have drawn up an alternative coalition but instead launched a series of trump-esque rallies to further air their laughable sense of victimhood. It won’t be a concern now anyway. In freefall, with the 2nd least popular party leader.
@Tommy: all parties expressed their preference before the election, but it was the people who decided the makeup of the Dail, plus SF had months to form their own coalition (including with the Greens) but made no serious effort to do so. It was so left to democratic parties to give this country stable Government, which they have.
@Pat Hazzard: Yes, but Martin said that they wouldn’t form a govt with FG and they did so that was a lie!….. No if, buts or maybes
@Tommy: our leaders are an absolute disgrace when I look at leaders that are in the likes of Hungary and Poland who stand up for they’re overwhelming public opinion it shows the rats they really are.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: the people decided the make up of the Dail, that’s democracy and he respected the peoples choice.
@Paddy C: our leaders are the two most popular party leaders, their parties got the most seats in the local elections. The right wing nut jobs got less than 1%. Its clear who the rats are and 99% of the electorate rejected them.
@Pat Hazzard: But the point is that FF gained more votes by Martin lying, I wonder what the outcome would have been if he had told the truth that he would go into government with FG, a different picture i would say.
@Pat Hazzard: Irrelevant to the point…… HE LIED!!!!!….. And if you really want to get technical about the election SF was the party that won the popular vote! The people chose them as the most popular party ahead of FF and FG, 80k more votes than FG, and 50k more than FF
But it’s not decided by the popular vote.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Never say never in politics!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: thanks for highlighting how Shinners really struggle at basic tasks like primary school maths. They got 24%, that’s not even half way to a majority. The Taoiseach is elected by a majority of TDs in the Dail, not by thugs in balaclavas.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: a lie? That property developers cash was accidentaly lodged into the personal bank account of Micheal Martins wife.
@Michael o connor: It was just resting there!
@Pat Hazzard: Embarrassing for you. You might want to brush up on your definitions. If it was a 2 horse race 51% would be a majority. The larger number in a multi party race is actually the majority. Majority is defined as being the larger number. Sinn Fein got the larger number (or majority) of votes in the GE
Honesty and michael martin should not be in same sentance
Worry about our own part of the country. Fix the mess yourparty
@Gerry Lamont: he should have a chat with them about all the illegal immigrants coming across the border..80% according to Mc Entee..
@Finian McG: With no actual proof of that figure
@Brian D’Arcy: ”The Cabinet has been told it is now estimated that so far this year up to 90% of asylum seekers in Ireland have travelled from Northern Ireland.
RTÉ News understands this figure was provided by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee in her update to colleagues this morning.”
RTE. 30/4/2024.
And:
“85% of asylum seekers arrive at Dublin Airport without identity documents.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee said “every effort is being made” to clamp down on the practice.”
Newstalk. 29/2/2024.
They’re all fakes.
Mícheál…….. The Minster for Parachuting “Stars in their own minds” into politics, whilst ignoring loyal party stalwarts!!
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: weren’t the candidates selected by their membership at a convention?
@Pat Hazzard: Eveventually, after they were parachuted in. It should be a stipulation that they have a specific number of years membership and attend a specific number of meetings over those years!!!
I find it double standards. And our media never points it out. FFG all goes to these meetings talk about democracy and how brilliant it is all parties should come together and power share. And then same on the same breath. We would never go into power sharing with Sinn Fein. And it’s never point out the hypocrisy of it. Practice what you preach or shut up.
@Jimmy Donovan: NI assembly isn’t a sovereign state. Republic of Ireland is, so clearly those organisations under terrorist control aren’t compatible with our democracy.
@Pat Hazzard: So the 35 SF TDs in Dail Eireann weren’t democratically elected??
@Brian: they got 24% of 1st preference vote, not even half way to a majority, yet SF held trump type rallies (during a pandemic) claiming they won.
@Pat Hazzard: You didn’t answer my question.. were the 35 TDs who sit in Dail Eireann democratically elected.. yes or no ?
@Pat Hazzard: “organisations under terrorist control aren’t compatible with our democracy”
You need to move on ,I see Bertie is trying to say he and FF were the people who put the GFA in place ?
Amazing imagination he has .
The armed struggle is over .
I don’t hear you comment on the UDA /UVF who have not decommissioned and are still active and terrorising their own community.
@H Woo: jeez that is the most trump like comment today
If only we had real leaders who used common sense what a shame
Another occasion to shut up missed martin
If there was a liars competition, Me’Hole would win it by a country mile!
@Brian Hunt: people need to stop bringing up all that developers money that was lodged into Micheal Martins wifes bank account, we need to move on.
@H Woo: learn to spell
@H Woo: bot mc bot face!
I hate Michael Martin!
All together now
“I hear you calling ….”
Martin is using his position to cosy up the SDLP,he knows that with SF being the biggest on the island that FF is in trouble going forward.
Pity that the new leader of the SDLP wants nothing to do with FF
have your say